Saturday, November 12

Some of my favorite "Heroes"

Lily Marie has overcome more adversity than any 1 year old should have to endure.

Student Megan, who played OSU volleyball, and Rae LeCompte who guided me to my eventual teaching career.

University of Tennessee women's basketball coach, Pat Summit has won more games than any coach men or women. Is currently facing her toughest opponent, Alzheimer's Disease.

Ahhhh, Saturdays! I just love 'em. Most of you that know me very well, know that I love all things sports. If it involves a ball of any shape, bats or sticks, pucks or birdies, skates or skies, I will be watching. Remember World Wide Sports? I loved it. I'm not sure where my love for sports came from. The only thing we ever watched once we had a TV was WWF Wrestling. On Saturdays, after chores and dinner (dinner being our noon meal) we watched the likes of Don Eagle and Gorgeous George body slam each other until the referee determined the winner by 3 hard slaps of his hand on the canvas mat and then holding the victor's hand high above his head. We never watched football at home so my first exposure was on the Sundays we would visit Grandma & Grandpa Long in Columbus. After dinner the women stayed in the kitchen washing dishes while Dad and Grandpa went into the living room to watch TV. Much to my dad's dismay and my great joy, Grandpa tuned in to a football game. From my seat hiding behind Grandpa's overstuffed chair, he had long before adopted a "children should be seen and not heard" policy, I would excitedly watch the game called football. The smell of cherry pipe tobacco waifing through the air, I was mesmerized by this game. There was an air of innocence in the games that were played back then. There is a part of me, that inner child, that is very angry that the media of today finds it so necessary to find wrong doing at every turn. It seems nearly impossible to have a hero that doesn't have some dirty laundry hidden away somewhere in his or her past. As an adult, I understand that media has made us more accountable for making bad choices which is a good thing. Today will be a very sad day for me as Penn State takes the field without Joe Pa and actually this entire year has been rather disappointing. I guess the lesson for our young people is that we not only need to be concerned with what we do but also those things that we fail to do. Or perhaps the lesson could be to begin looking for our "heroes" a little closer to home! Oh, and if you have any dirt on Davy Crockett, please don't tell me, that might just put me over the edge! Have a great week end!!